Queen Bitch
by Cthequeenbee
Summary: When Kimberly, a hardcore Brooklyn girl is forced to transfer from her rough public high school to Constance Billiard, will her "take no shit" mindset hold up against the current Queen B, or will her sheer existence turn the social order on its head? Please Review!
1. Queen Bitch

Kim walked up the subway steps, and looked around the Upper East Side. She had lived in and went to school in Brooklyn her whole life, and for some cruel reason, her older sister convinced her mother and father to try to have her admitted to Constance Billard School for Girls. Kim has always been dedicated to her studies, with her sights set on an Ivy League college, but she was skeptical about private schools. As she walked down the street, she thought about the fact that public school builds character and resilience, while private school kids were usually snobs who have rich people problems. She was only there in a mission, and promised herself that she wouldn't get distracted. Kim had always been tough, growing up in a rough Brooklyn neighborhood tends to do that to you, and as much as she knew the girls in this school would never be able to break her, she also wasn't going to let them walk all over her. She arrived in front of the school on foot, and noticed the other early birds pouring out of town cars and limousines. She couldn't help but roll her eyes. She took a seat on the steps of The Met. Kim crossed her legs and took out a book, hoping to get some quality reading done before the bell rang. She sat there reading, absentmindedly twirling her long dark hair when she felt a shadow cast over her and heard somebody clear their throat. She looked up to see one girl in front and two behind her.

Blair looked at the girl sitting on the steps and did not recognize her chocolate brown complexion or long dark hair. She knew that she was either a freshman, or a new student. Either way, she was going to take the opportunity to flex her power.

"Get up," the girl in front said to her. Kim put her head back into her book, because she knew that it must have been a mistake.

"Didn't you hear? I said get up," she said again.

"I heard you, but I chose to ignore you because you couldn't possibly be talking to me like that," Kim replied.

"Listen here, you seem to be new here, so I'll let you slide, but I'm Blair Waldorf. I rule this school, and this is my spot, so you need to get up," Blair said.

"If you rule the school, that's great, but you don't rule me, so I'm not moving," Kim retorted.

"Listen, you little bitch, if I have to tell you again, you're gonna regret it," Blair told her.

Kim stood up, Blair's 5'8" frame towering over her 5 feet of pure sass. By this time, almost everybody had stopped what they were doing to look at the scene on the steps. For the first time, Blair got a glimpse of her curvy body, and knew that she couldn't possibly be a freshman.

"That's Queen Bitch to you, and since you want to put on a show, you can have the applause. Just know that I'll lift your whole frame like a fucking garage," Kim said with her voice dripping venom.

Just then, the bell to first period rang, and Kim turned to go inside of the school with Blair and her minions walking in behind her. People were already talking about her encounter with Blair on the way to first period. She stepped into her first class, and took a seat in the front row.

"Welcome back ladies. I see on the roster that we have a new student. Kimberly Jones, would you come up and tell the class about yourself?" The teacher requested. Kim resisted the urge to roll her eyes, and went to stand in front of the class.

"Hi everyone, as was just mentioned, I'm Kimberly, or Kim. I just transferred to Constance from John Jay High School in Brooklyn." Kim said briefly before sitting down again.

"Welcome again Ms. Jones. It's a pleasure to meet you." the teacher stated.

When Kim was situated in her seat again, the girl next to her extended her hand to her.

"Hey, I'm Serena Van der Woodsen. Nice to meet you," Serena said.

Kim took her hand. "Good to meet you as well," she replied.

The two girls continued to take notes until after the class was over. They walked out of class together.

"Hey Serena, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, what's up?"

"Why is everyone talking about you?" Kim asked.

"Well, that's a generally normal occurrence here, but lately it's because I went away to boarding school last year, and just got back. Gossip Girl spotted me when I arrived at Grand Central." Serena explained.

"What's Gossip Girl?" Kim asked.

"It's a gossip website that seems to track the girls at Constance and the guys at St. Jude's, our brother school," Serena explained.

"Oh wow. Who has this much time on their hands to be in everyone's business?" Kim asked. Serena laughed.

"I don't know, but they're really good at it. Do you want to see it?"

"Sure." Kim handed over her cellphone to Serena. She brought up the page.

"Here it is, and just like that, you will also be receiving the test updates to your phone," she informed her new friend.

"Thanks." The girls barely moved an inch before their phones, and everyone else's went off.

 _Good Morning Upper East Siders, Gossip Girl here. It seems like B has already run into a hiccup. This morning on The Met steps, she was left looking stupid when someone refused to defer to her royal demands. Watch out Queen B, we think you just met Brooklyn's own Queen Bitch. Good luck hanging on to your throne._

 _You know you love me._

 _XOXO,_

 _Gossip Girl_

Serena looked up from her phone. "Is she talking about you?" she asked.

"I believe so. I was sitting on the steps this morning, and some girl named Blair yelled at me to get up. I don't play that, so I had to give her a piece of my mind," Kim said.

"Wow, people don't usually stand up to B," Serena said.

"Do you know her well?" Kim asked.

"She's actually my best friend, who's a little mad at me right now," Serena answered.

"Is it gonna be a problem that you're walking with me?" Kim asked.

"Nah, you're not the only one Blair can't boss around," Serena said as the two girls made their way to the next class.

"Ok ladies, I have the first assignment of the semester. It consists of a paper and a presentation, and you will do it with a partner. Both partners are to participate in writing the paper, and creating as well as giving the presentation. Each girl will pick a name out of the hat. The name listed is your husband, and your partner for this project from St. Jude's. You both will fill out some information about yourselves and your families, and then I, along with Mr. Solomon will determine the child or children that you will get. You will be "married" for a week before you get your baby, and then you will have the baby for two weeks. You will be required to answer certain questions about your partner, and spend time with the baby. You write a daily log for the next three weeks about how you ran your family, and. At the end of the allotted time, you will be asked to give a presentation on your findings. Mrs. Cohen explained.

She then walked around the classroom and each girl proceeded to pull a name out of the hat. When it was Kim's turn, she put her hand in and pulled out a card. She eagerly opened it up and read the name NATHANIEL ARCHIBALD.

"Hey Serena, do you know who Nathaniel Archibald is?" Kim asked.

"Yeah, I know him... he's actually Blair's boyfriend" Serena admitted.

"Ah shit." Kim replied as she rolled her eyes. "Who'd you get paired with?" she asked Serena.

"Dan Humphrey. Should be interesting," Serena replied. After filling out the information sheet, the bell rang and the girls were finally free from the day's classes.

"Serena, could you point me in Nathaniel's direction, so that we can start talking about this project?"

"Sure. Actually here he is now." Serena responded as she pointed him out, standing outside of the school with his best friend, Chuck Bass.

"I actually have to take care of something over there," Serena said before running off suddenly. When Kim laid eyes on the boy who was to be her husband, she smiled. He was cute, but both him and his friend needed to dead the man-bangs.

"Excuse me, Nathaniel?" Kim asked in what her friends who deem her "white person voice."

"Yeah, hi. Have we met?" He asked intrigued and confused.

"No, not only am I the new girl at Constance, I'm also the new Mrs. Archibald," She said holding up the card with his name on it.

"So you're my partner for this project," he replied.

"Yes I am. I'm Kim," she said as she extended her hand to him.

"Nice to meet you Kim, call me Nate, and this is my best friend Chuck."

Kim extended her hand to Chuck, who simply greeted her with "Chuck Bass."

"Good to meet you both. So when do you wanna start working on this?" Kim asked. Nate thought for a second.

"Give me your cell," he told Kim. She took it out of her pocket and gave it to him.

"Here's my number and my email address. How about Monday after school, we go to my house and start?" Nate asked.

"Yeah, that works for me. I'll talk to you later. Have a good night guys." Kim said.

"Good night," Chuck and Nate said in unison.

They both watched her as she walked away.

"Did you see the rack on your wife?" Chuck asked. Nate tried to stop himself from smiling.

"She seems like a nice girl," Nate replied.

"Probably, but you think you're gonna tap that ass? That " Chuck said.

"Quit it, you know I'm with Blair."

"Yeah, and she's coming this way. I'll catch you later Archibald," Chuck said as he made his way to his limo. Blair walked up to Nate and he leaned down kiss her forehead.

"How was your day?" He asked her. Blair rolled her eyes.

"It was ok, except when that bitch decided to defy me on the steps this morning. Can you believe it?" Blair said with a scoff.

"Relax." Nate said. Blair sighed.

"Whatever, I'll handle her another time. Are we still on for tonight?" Blair asked with hopeful eyes.

"Yeah, I'll see you later," Nate said, voice distant as they went into their separate cars.


	2. Notorious KIM

Chapter 2: Notorious K.I.M

"Bruh, come look at this," Kim said.

She was hanging out with her best friends Christa and Jenna in her Brooklyn apartment. Her mom was keeping the food coming and they sat around Kim's room as she filled them in on her first day at her new school. She had to show them the Gossip Girl website.

"Can you believe that somebody really sits around all day spilling the beans on what these people do?" Kim asked.

"But check you out already in the mix and on the blog," Christa said in response to the entry about Kim's argument with Blair.

"Nah, because early in the morning, this bitch wanna do the work of the devil, and try me. Like, how the fuck do you have a spot on the steps of The Met?" Kim complained.

"You better stop, her father might own a wing or something," Jenna said.

"You right," Kim replied. The three girls laughed.

"I met a girl who seems pretty nice, Serena Van der Woodsen. We also got this project where we get paired with a boy from the brother school, and act as a married couple with a child for like three weeks," Kim told them.

"Who's your partner?" Christa asked.

"This guy named Nate Archibald. And get this, he's Blair's boyfriend," Kim informed them.

"Oh nah, she's really gonna hate you now," Jenna said.

"Why? I didn't ask for him, and it's just a project. I'm just here for the A," Kim explained.

"What does he look like?" Christa asked.

"I can't even lie, he is too sexy. Like, his features are perfect." Kim admitted. Jenna poked around the Gossip Girl website and came up with his picture.

"Oh, he's cute," Christa said.

"Peep his friend, Chuck Bass though," Jenna said, mesmerized. Kim gave her the side-eye.

"He's funny looking. Both of them need to stop with the man bangs," she retorted.

"Stop it, he is boyfriend goals for days," Jenna replied. They continued going through the Gossip Girl website.

"These people need help. The person who made this site needs help too," Christa said.

"You right. They just have rich people problems, so they're focused on the wrong things in my opinion. Like they just care about the wrong shit," Kim said.

"They scandalous as hell though." Jenna commented. The girls continued to spend the rest of the day watching movies and catching up. Soon, Kim gets a text alert on her phone.

 _'Hey Kim, it's Nate. Would you be able to come over at about 3:00 to start on our project?'_

Kim thought for a second before replying.

 _'Sure. What's your address?'_

 _' 4 East 74_ _th_ _Street. Do you want me to send my limo for you?"_

 _'No it's fine. I'll see you tomorrow."_

"Well then," Kim said out loud, getting her friends' attention.

"What's up?" Jenna asked.

"That was Nate. We're gonna work on our project tomorrow at his house," Kim revealed, holding up her phone.

"You're gonna be inside a mansion?!" Christa squealed.

"I guess so," Kim replied.

"Nah, you need to be more excited about this," Jenna said.

"No, I don't. The last thing I need is to act like I've never seen anything before, and you act like I'm moving in. It's just homework," Kim replied, going back to watching the movie.

"Nah, you gotta get him to introduce me to Chuck Bass," Jenna commented. Kim rolled her eyes.

"Jenna, fall back. You are not going to end up with Chuck," she told her friend.

"Stranger things have happened," Christa added. The girls continued talking and watching movies sprawled out on Kim's King-sized bed. She didn't even know that she fell asleep until she woke up the next day at 11:00. She got up out of her bed and went to take a shower, when she got back into her room, she woke up Christa and Jenna.

"Hey, you guys gotta get up. I have to start getting ready to go soon," Kim announced.

"You don't have to get there until 3:00. Relax," Christa said.

"It'll take me over an hour to get there, and two hours to get ready," Kim explained. Jenna gave Kim the side-eye, but they got up, and took turns showering before having breakfast.

"So what are you gonna wear?" Jenna asked.

"I don't know. I'm going to his house, not the opera," Kim said, trying to seem nonchalant.

"Bitch stop. You look at your closet for a good 45 minutes before going to the doctor. I'm pretty sure this will be no different," Christa said. Kim rolled her eyes, and continued eating. When they were done, they headed back to Kim's room to help her get ready. She put on her makeup first, deciding on a skin tone eyeshadow and brown lipstick that was nude on her. She combed through her closet and decided on a black sleeveless turtleneck dress with black stockings, black booties and a red trench jacket. She put her laptop and notebook into her bag along with her other belongings before heading out of the door with Christa and Jenna by her side. When they got outside of the apartment building, the three girls went their separate way. Kim heading to the Upper East Side, Jenna and Christa heading towards South Brooklyn. When Kim finally emerged from the train station, she began the five minute walk to Nate's house. When she arrived in front of the big townhouse, she couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. She didn't really know him, and definitely didn't know his family.

 _What if they don't like African-American people?_ She thought. She ran her fingers through her perfectly straightened hair as she rang the doorbell , and she heard it open a few seconds later.

"Hey Kim, how are you?" Nate greeted with a smile as he held the door open for her to walk in, taking in her body as she walked by him. She waited for him in the foyer, and tried not to look around too much.

"Was the traffic bad?" Nate asked her, as he started to lead her further into the house.

"Not really, the trains ran pretty smoothly," she told him. Nate looked at her in shock.

"You took the train here?" Nate asked in surprise.

"Yeah, of course. I live in Brooklyn," she told him.

"Oh, I didn't know. You should've told me, and I would've sent my driver for you," he said.

Kim shook her head. "That's not necessary. I take the train all the time," she told him.

"Nonsense. You won't take the train home. I'm putting my foot down," he said with a smile. Kim laughed a bit.

"Ok sir, if you say so," she responded, amused that he was being protective. They stopped walking when they got to the living room with a man and a woman, who Kim assumed to be Nate's parents sitting on the sofa.

"Mom, Dad, this is Kim. She's my partner for the marriage project," Nate introduced.

Kim smiled her prize winning smile and stuck her hand out, "It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Archibald," she said as she shook both of their hands.

"Nice to meet you as well sweetheart," Mrs. Archibald answered.

"Good to meet you," Mr. Archibald said.

"We're gonna go upstairs and get started on this," Nate told his parent.

"Ok, just holler if you need anything," Mrs. Archibald said before the two teens went off to complete their homework.

Nate guided Kim into his enormous bedroom. There was a queen-sized bed against one wall with the wall across from it bare with just low shelves housing video games, a cable box and DVDs. She looked up, and noticed a projector mounted on the ceiling and pointing to the bare wall. The left side of the room had floor to ceiling window overlooking the park. Next to the windows was a work table with papers, a laptop and a two chairs.

"Have a seat, make yourself comfortable," he directed. Kim smoothed down her dress, and took a seat.

"Do you want anything to drink, or anything?" Nate asked.

"No thank you. I'm fine."

"Ok, well let's get down to this worksheet about getting to know each other. How do you want to do this?" Nate initiated.

"I was thinking that we could go back and forth. For example, I ask the first question, you answer, and then I'll answer afterwards," Kim suggested.

"Sounds good to me. You wanna start?"

"Sure. Who's your hero?" Kim asked Nate. Nate thought for a minute.

"I admire my dad because he's always been an upstanding and honest guy. You?"

"I think I have a few heroes. My mom is one because she's always sacrificed to give her children more than she had; she's resilient and relentless. I also admire my mentor because she is the GOAT publicist, and lastly, I kind of admire Lil' Kim," she said. Nate laughed a little.

"Lil' Kim? You have to explain yourself," he prompted.

"Well she's a small woman from Brooklyn, like myself-" she started.

"Yes, you are very small," Nate said, cracking a smile.

"However, she is a pioneer in her field, fighting her way to the top and holding her own with a bunch of men, she is fearless, fly as fuck, and she is unapologetically herself. Nobody can make her feel bad for being her, and that's a quality more women could benefit from," Kim finished.

"Wow, I must say, those are good reasons to admire someone," Nate responded, impressed.

"Ok, What's you're favorite book?" He asked her.

" The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. I love that book because the protagonist and the other main characters are from 'the wrong side of the tracks,' and they are always being painted as juvenile delinquents, but in reading the story, you find out that they were never looking for a fight, they were just looking to belong somewhere, and to survive the best way that they know how. It touched me because I feel like people don't often get to hear that side of the story," she remarked.

Nate marinated on her words a bit. They went back and forth like this for about an hour. Nate sighed.

"Wanna take a study break?" He asked Kim.

"Sure, could I have some water, please?" Kim asked.

"Yeah, come on."

Kim followed Nate down the stairs and to the kitchen. She leaned over the island, while they continue talking. He moved around the kitchen pulling out some things. He passed behind her to get to the pantry, and couldn't help but notice the curve of her spine, and how it turned into a plump rear end. He couldn't help but acknowledge the fact that this girl had an awesome body. She was small, standing at about 5 feet, but she had a sizable chest, a small waist and a big booty.

"So what made you transfer to Constance?" Nate asked. Kim had to stop herself from rolling her eyes.

"My sister convinced my mom that it'd be good idea because I'd get a better education and the kind of access to colleges that I wouldn't have in public school. She's right, but I don't know how well I fit in there," Kim admitted.

"Oh you'll be fine. You already made friends with Serena, and you have me," he offered. Kim smiled.

"That's really sweet of you, but are you sure Blair would be ok with that?" She asked. Nate's face fell.

"I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?" Kim asked.

"No, it's just that Blair and I are having some problems," Nate said.

"You wanna talk about it?"

"No, it's ok. I don't wanna bore you with the details."

"No, it's fine. Tell your wife about your girlfriend," Kim said with a smile.

Nate sighed, and started to tell Kim about his lifelong relationship with Blair, the fact that he slept with Serena, and how he wasn't so sure that Blair is the girl for him anymore. Kim listened carefully and tried not to judge.

"You want my honest opinion?" Kim asked. Nate nodded.

"What you guys did was messed up, but everyone makes mistakes. If you don't think Blair is the one for you, then you have to do what's right for you. Your parents are not going to disown you or kick you out for not marrying Blair. They might be disappointed, but nobody is gonna die. It'll be ok," she explained.

"Well, when you put it like that, it all sounds stupid," Nate responded with a smile.

"No, if something is bothering you, your feelings are generally valid, just don't forget to keep everything in perspective," Kim said.

They continued working on getting to know each other for a few more hours. When it was time to leave, Kim said her goodbyes to Mr. and Mrs. Archibald before Nate walked her to the door.

"I had a really good time talking to you," Nate said when they got to the door.

"So did I," Kim responded as he walked her outside. Nate leaned in to give her a hug.

"We'll make plans for the next phase of the project," he said before she got into the car.

"No problem. Thanks again for the ride." Kim stepped into the car, and was on her way home. Ten minutes into the ride, she received a text. It was an alert from Gossip Girl.

 _SPOTTED: The Notorious K.I.M. leaving Archibald Manor. Look out B, it looks like Brooklyn's Queen Bee might just be positioning herself to rule the Upper East Side too._

Kim was mortified at the fact that someone had caught them hugging and turned it into such a vile story. She knew that the next day at school would be interesting.


	3. Money, Power, Respect

**Thank you to everyone who has formally followed this story, and even those who are reading silently. I hope you guys are enjoying it! Please read and review, I really want to hear all of your thoughts.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Gossip Girl**

Chapter 3: Money, Power, Respect

Kim sat in the gym doing a few stretches, and trying to finish the lollipop that she was eating before the class began. She had just started a conversation with Serena when she saw Blair Waldorf storm through the double doors. Kim tried to ignore the fact that she was heading her way, and hoped that everyone else would ignore it too. She hated having people in her business, but Blair never missed a chance to try to embarrass somebody.

"You little slut! You better stay the hell away from my boyfriend," Blair screamed with the intention of the whole room hearing her.

Kim rolled her eyes, and turned to face Blair. She took the lollipop that she had out of her mouth and lifted it up to tap it against Blair's forehead with every word.

"Let" tap

"Me" tap

"Tell" tap

"You" tap

"Something" tap

"I don't want your man. He's my partner for the marriage project. We were doing homework, you insecure twit," Kim said. When she was finished, she could see fire in Blair's eyes, and everyone in the gym was staring in total shock.

Blair stepped closer to Kim and looked down at her, "This means war."

"I'm not afraid of you. If I whistle, they'll pistol whip you in all five boroughs," Kim replied right before the gym teacher blew her whistle to get their attention.

"Good Morning ladies. Today is a field hockey day. We'll count off 1,2,1,2 to create teams, and then we'll go outside," Ms. Collins announced.

When they finished creating teams, Kim ended up on the same team as Serena, opposite Blair. Kim was excited, she always did like field hockey because it allowed her to get out her aggression. The girls made their way to the field. Kim noticed that anytime that she or Serena went after the ball, Blair was hot on their heels. Kim got control of the ball from Isabel and tried to run it into the goal, only to feel a stick bang into her ankle. Her first instinct was to fling her elbow into the person behind her, and she caught Blair in the stomach, instead of the eye.

"Keep playing with me, and you will catch these hands," Kim said, just for Blair to hear her.

The girls kept playing, and Blair wouldn't let up on Serena until they actually started to fight.

"Seriously Blair! We've actually come to physical blows now?" Serena yelled? Blair just looked around and grabbed her ankle, faking an injury. Kim shook her head. She knew that she would never understand these people.

Serena was sitting under one of the canopies in the park reading.

"I always know that I can find you here when something's bothering you," Blair said as she walked up to her. Serena rolled her eyes. Blair extended her hand to Serena, she was holding a piece of paper.

"What's this?" Serena asked.

"A letter that I wrote to you while you were at boarding school, but I never sent it." Blair started to read the contents of the letter, and Serena's eyes started to well with tears.

" _Dear Serena,_

 _My world is falling apart, and you're the only one who would understand._

 _My father left my mother for a 31 year-old model. A male model. I feel_

 _like screaming because I don't have anyone to talk to. You're gone, my dad's gone,_

 _Nate's acting weird... Where are you? Why don't you call? Why did you leave_

 _without saying 'goodbye?' You're supposed to be my best friend._

 _I miss you so much._

 _Love,_

 _Blair"_

"Why didn't you send it. I would've.." Serena started.

"You would've what? You knew Serena, and you never even called," Blair responded.

"I didn't know what to say, or even how to be your friend after what I did. I'm so sorry," Serena confessed through tears.

Right there in Central Park, two white flags had been waved. Serena and Blair called a truce.

Kim, Jenna and Christa walked down Madison Avenue, when Kim heard somebody call her name. She turned around, and came face to face with Jenny Humphrey carrying around garment bags.

"Hey Jenny. These are my best friends Christa and Jenna. Guys, this is Jenny, we go to school together," Kim introduced. The three girls exchanged hellos.

"Looks like you've got a lot of stuff there," Kim said, gesturing to the garment bags that she was carrying.

"Oh, right. These are some dresses for Blair's Masquerade Ball tonight," Jenny answered. Kim tried hard not to roll her eyes.

"So you went to pick up her dress?" Kim asked. Jenny looked a little uneasy.

"Yeah, her and the other girls," Jenny replied.

"Which one is yours?" Kim asked. Jenny felt her face get warm.

"Oh, Jenny. Don't tell me that she's got you doing all this work, and didn't even invite you?" Kim asked, feeling sympathetic towards the younger girl.

"It's ok, really. I'm glad to help," Jenny said, unsure of if she was trying to convince herself or Kim.

"Ok, but don't let her push you around. She only has power because you guys give it to her. If people stop bowing down, the throne crumbles," Kim offered. Jenny smiled.

"Yeah, that's true. It was good seeing you. I'll see you," Jenny said before running off.

Kim turned to her friends.

"Do you see this nonsense? That poor girl really thinks that Blair is somebody," Kim said.

"I don't get it. I understand the whole 'money, power, respect' thing, but all of this to go to a damn party?" Christa asked.

"Word, it can't be that serious," Jenna replied.

"That's what happens when you wanna be seen," Kim said as she reached into her purse to answer her vibrating phone.

"Hello Husband," she greeted with a laugh.

Nate chuckled on the other end. "Hey Kim, what are you up to?"

"I'm actually walking down Madison with two of my best friends. Why? What's up?" she asked him.

"Um, I was just wondering if you were available to talk, but if you're busy..." he trailed off.

"No, it's ok. Do you want to do this over the phone, or ?" Kim asked.

"I'm actually on fifth, do you want to meet near the park?" Nate asked.

"Sure, talk to you soon," Kim said.

"Who was that?" Jenna asked first.

"Why are you so nosy?" Kim asked. Jenna made a face.

"It was Nate. He sounds like he needs somebody to talk to, so I'm gonna walk meet him near the park," Kim explained, as she led them towards the direction of Central Park. When she got there, she saw Nate standing outside of the East Side entrance. He smiled and waved when he saw her.

"Hey,"he said as they both moved in for hugs.

"Hey. These are my best friends Christa and Jenna," Kim said as she introduced them. Christa arched an eyebrow, and Jenna tried her hardest to keep from smiling like a fool as they said their helloes.

"Ok girls, I'll call you," Kim said, indicating that she'd call them when she was done with Nate.

"So what's up?" Kim asked. Nate sighed.

"The other day, I was in a poker game with a guy that used to live in the neighborhood, and he rigged it for me to lose. Chuck paid off the debt, and when I went to my trust fund to pay him back, the account had been drained. The next day, the money was back, and my dad said that he was just reorganizing the finances. Then I found a bag of coke in a book. I don't know what's going on, and I don't know what to do," Nate said. Kim gave him a sympathetic look.

"Maybe he is having some money issues, but he's probably figuring it out, and just doesn't want to upset you," Kim offered.

"I think it's why my dad is pushing me to stay with Blair. He might be depending on Eleanor using him to take her company public, and thinks that is I break up with Blair, that it'll make her look elsewhere. I don't understand why they're shutting me out" Nate said as they started to walk amongst the trees.

It was Kim's turn to sigh. "It's a parent's job to take care of their children, if they ever feel like they might be in a situation where they may not be able to come through on that obligation, of course they shut down. Not just because they don't wanna worry you, but because they don't want you to lose your faith in them. It's your job to observe what's happening so that you're not completely off guard, but give them the space to figure it out. As for Blair, and everything else about your future. You're entitled to make your own decisions. Your father said that he didn't work this hard for you to make things up as you go along, but remind him that he invested this much so that you'd grow up with the ability to think critically and make solid decisions. And it's not like they're gonna disown you if you don't attend Dartmouth," Kim said.

Nate smiled, realizing that Kim had a few valid points. "You're right," he said.

"And why are they so pressed for you to marry Blair? Are they afraid that you're gonna fall in love with someone who's gonna stick you for your paper?" Kim asked. Nate laughed.

"Stick me, what?" he asked her.

"Stick you for your paper. You know, like rob you for your money?" Kim explained. Nate chuckled, it was so cute when she spoke slang.

"You are too much," he said. Kim laughed a little.

"Thank you," he said as he looked down and into her big brown eyes.

"For what?" Kim asked.

"For being a good friend to me. I called Blair to talk, but she didn't even answer the phone. Since we've met, you've always been there to listen to me, and offer solid advice. It's refreshing to listen to a different point of view," Nate said.

"You know I try," Kim said as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. Nate laughed. He always seemed to be laughing when he was around Kim.

Jenny found herself at the masquerade ball completely unnoticed. Dan's best friend, Vanessa helped her find a dress, and the mask gave her complete anonymity. She had succeeded in locking Chuck Bass on the roof without his clothes on as payback for trying to force himself on her at the Kiss on the Lips Party. She was in the ladies lounge putting his clothes in a basket when somebody walked in.

"Jenny?" Serena asked. She looked down.

"Um, you didn't see me here, ok?" Jenny asked.

"Sure, it's just one more thing in a series of things that I'll pretend didn't happen tonight," Serena responded.

"Is everything all right?" Jenny asked. Serena proceeded to fill Jenny in on Dan's arrival, and departure when he ran after Vanessa. After Jenny assured her of how much Dan likes her, she decided to go search for him.

"I don't know how I'm gonna find anyone. This stupid mask keeps falling over my eyes"

"I'd give you mine, but masks come off at 12, and I need mine to make my escape," Jenny said.

"You know what, you wanna trade?" Serena asked. Jenny agreed.

"An take this. It's so hot in here, and it'll probably be cold outside," Serena said as she took off her fur shrug, and handed it to Jenny.

When Jenny walked out of the bathroom, she felt somebody grab her from behind.

"Serena, just don't say anything, and let me explain," Nate started. Jenny gasped under her breath before he continued.

"I've been trying to do the right thing, but it's killing me. I know we both care about Blair, but maybe the best thing for me to do is just tell her the truth. I'm not over you, and I thought that I could fight it, but I can't. If you don't stop me, I'm gonna kiss you," Nate finished before turning Jenny around, and kissing her. Jenny pushed him away from her, and ran off.

"Nate?" He heard somebody call. When he turned in the other direction, he saw Serena there, and was instantly confused.

"What are you doing? It's almost midnight, and you have to find Blair. She's wearing tall boot and a big crown. Go!" Serena said before pushing him in Blair's direction. He walked up to Blair just after the clock striked 12. Blair's face fell. All she wanted was for them to start over, and he didn't even try.


	4. At Your Best

Chapter 4: At Your Best

"Yo, I really wish this doll would stop crying," Kim said, frustrated. Nate chuckled a little bit. Kim tried hard to be proper, but when she was upset or frustrated, the Brooklyn in her always came out. Nate snapped a picture of her as she coddled the baby. Kim came up with the idea that they should use pictures and videos for their project, and not just words.

"Well did you try everything the book says?" Nate asked. Kim shot him one of her infamous looks. Her facial expressions hid nothing.

"Nah, I've been staring at her for the last 20 minutes," Kim replied sarcastically. Nate laughed, she was so feisty.

Nate and Kim were given a daughter to take care of as a part of their project. The school handed out dolls that acted like real babies, and they even had to sign a fake birth certificate. Together, they decided on the name

Liah Cristina Anne Archibald. Kim sighed, she didn't know how to calm the doll down, until she suddenly had an idea. She cleared her throat.

 _Let me know, let me know_

 _Ooooh let me know, let me know, let me know_

 _When I feel what I feel sometimes it's hard to tell you so_

 _You may not be in the mood to learn what you think you know_

 _There are times when I find, you want to keep yourself from me_

 _When I don't have the strength, I'm just a mirror of what I see_

 _But at your best, you are love_

 _You're a positive motivating force within my life_

 _Should you ever feel the need to wonder why,_

 _Let me know, let me know oooooh_

 _Let me know_

 _When you feel, what you feel, it's hard for me to understand_

 _So many things have taken place before this love affair began_

 _But if you feel like I feel, confusion can give way to doubt_

 _For there are times when I fall short of what I say_

 _What I say I'm all about, all about_

 _But at your best, you are love_

 _You're a positive motivating force within my life_

 _Should you ever feel the need to wonder why_

 _Let me know, let me know_

By the time Kim was finished, the doll stopped crying. When she looked up, she saw Nate recording on his camera. He put it down and smiled.

"Wow, you have a great voice," he said amazed.

"Thanks, it's nothing," she replied.

"Did you know that was going to work?" he asked as he came to sit down next to her. Kim shrugged.

"I had an idea. Whenever I babysit my nieces, they usually quiet down whenever I play that song from the computer," Kim explained.

Nate sat there staring into her eyes for an intense moment. Kim smiled and broke eye contact first. She started to pack up her belongings.

"I-I um, I should get going," Kim said. She walked as quickly as her little legs would take her. That wasn't very fast, so Nate was able to fall in step with her.

"Hold on, I'll get my driver," he said.

"No, it's fine. I'll take the train," Kim said.

Nate side eyed her. "I'm not letting you take the train this time of night," he replied to her.

Kim made one of her infamous facial expressions. "I'm sorry daddy, I was unaware that you had the ability to make those decisions for me," she told him. Nate couldn't decide if she was really upset, or being sarcastic, but he had to suppress the smile that tugged at his lips when she called him "daddy."

Nate arched an eyebrow of his own in response. Kim tried to run out of the door, but Nate was faster. He grabbed her, picked her up and put her over his shoulder. Kim squealed, and then started laughing. He carried her with one hand back to the living room, and called his driver with the other hand. The limo car was out front within five minutes.

"See, isn't this nice? Taking a car home instead of fumbling through the subway system?" Nate asked.

Kim rolled her eyes, "I'm perfectly capable," she answered.

"You're gonna have to stop rolling your eyes at me," Nate said, in mock authority.

"Really?" She asked.

"Yup, your husband has spoken, and I'm putting my foot down," he told her.

Kim turned her head to the side in surprise, "I didn't think you had it in you Archibald," she said.

"Well you learn something new everyday," he countered. Kim smiled and shook her head.

"Goodbye Nate," she told him before entering the car.

"Bye Kim, see you tomorrow. Call me when you get home," he said all before closing the door to the car and watching it head for Brooklyn.

Nate was more confused than ever. He was technically still with Blair, he had feelings for Serena, but he also felt like he was developing a flame for Kim. Besides Chuck, he was always able to tell Kim everything, and she'd always been a great friend. He even told her things that he couldn't tell Chuck. He loved her point of view, and she held nothing back. He didn't want to lose her friendship, and he definitely didn't want to confuse her too.

.

The next day, Kim was walking up the stairs to enter the school when she felt someone grab her arm.

"You!" she heard Blair say harshly.

"What Blair? What the fuck do you want from me?" Kim answered.

"I know that you were with Nate before the masquerade ball. If I find out that you have anything to do with why he didn't find me-" Blair began before Kim cut her off.

"You're gonna do what? Blair? What could you possibly do to me?" Kim asked.

"I will banish you from New York City," Blair said.

"You see this hood shit, you and your minions ain't built for. This the shit another bitch in my last school almost got killed for. I'm from Brooklyn, and I go anywhere comfortably, I don't know who pumped you, and told you to start with me. I know you're the type to run your mouth and then run from me. I'll pop off in your neighborhood with no company. The Upper East Side ain't showing you real love, I can be here every night popping bottles with the thugs. You have a buzz, but I'll create a frenzy. You need to stop, you're not hot," Kim said, seething with anger. How dare anybody accuse her, she's never done anything, but mind her own business in this school.

"I suggest you fix your tone before you find out just how much power I really have," Blair challenged.

"You must have me confused. You keep thinking that you're somebody. We'll see how big you are when you're deep throating a German luger," Kim said before she pushed Blair aside and walked into the school.

Jenny was walking down the hall when Nate stopped in front of her.

"Serena, right?" He asked.

"Funny," Jenny responded.

"Actually, it's not."

Jenny made a face "What are you doing in the girl's hall?" She asked him.

"I was actually looking for you. You know, I really didn't mean anything I said about having feelings for Serena," he explained as he took a seat on a bench.

"Maybe you didn't. I don't even care, but other people might," Jenny responded.

"Yeah, I know."

"Including my brother," Jenny reminded. Nate took a box out of his book bag.

"You brought me chocolates?" Jenny asked.

"Well, I know that you care about being friends with Blair, and your brother is with Serena, and I'm with Blair, and I just really need you to help me out here. Promise?" Nate asked.

"Promise what?" Blair asked as she slid in next to them.

"Promise to help me think of a more creative apology than this," he said, handing Blair the box of chocolates. Jenny rolled her eyes.

"That is so sweet, but I prefer the gold collection," Blair said. Jenny walked away.

"Hey Cinderella," Blair called after her, and held up a diamond bracelet, "I think you left this at the ball. If there's one thing I hate, it's secrets. Friends don't keep secrets, and we're friends right?" she asked Jenny.

Jenny nodded. Blair smiled and turned away, heading back to sit next to Nate.

"What are you doing?" Blair asked as she ran outside of her apartment building. She and Nate were just having dinner with their parents, Anne even gave her the Vanderbilt ring to try on before Nate and Howard went outside to smoke cigars.

"I'm going to Victrola. I promised Chuck," Nate answered.

"I saw your father get arrested. Why didn't you come to me? I would've listened," she asked.

"I tried, but something else always had your attention. A dinner party, a masked ball-" he started.

"Yeah, let's talk about that masked ball. Let's talk about how while I was waiting for you to find me, so that we can finally be together, you were confessing your feelings and kissing Serena. I thought that I was doing everything right," Blair said.

"It's not your fault," Nate assured her.

"Do you love me?" Blair asked with tears in her eyes. Nate looked down at the ground. Blair held her face in her hands, and sighed.

"You should deal with your father, he needs you. You know what, I don't," Blair said before entering a waiting town car and driving off, leaving Nate standing there.

When Blair's car stopped, Chuck met her at the door.

"Where's Nate?" he asked.

"I think we just broke up," she told him.

"What?" Chuck asked in a confused tone from behind her.

"I don't wanna talk about it. I just wanna escape. Isn't that what this place is for?" She asked as she continued to walk into Victrola.

Blair and Chuck sat in the lounge engaging in some banter.

"You know, I've got moves," Blair said. Chuck smirked.

"So why don't you go up there?" he asked.

"No, I'm just saying that I have moves," Blair responded. Chuck laughed.

"I know what you're doing Bass. You don't think I'd go up there," Blair responded.

"I know you won't go up there," Chuck told her.

Never one to back down, Blair got up and got on stage. She started dancing, and unzipped her dress before she let it fall to the floor. Left only in her slip, she continued dancing, much to Chuck's dismay. When she got her fill of dancing and laughing, she hopped off of the stage.

"Come on Waldorf, I'll take you home," Chuck said, ushering her into his limo. When they were on their way, Blair turned to look at Chuck.

"Thanks for the ride," she said simply.

"You looked amazing," Chuck responded. Blair slid across the seat to close the gap between them. Their lips met, and soon her slip was coming down. Before she knew it, she was straddling him. She rode him into ecstasy as the limo rode into the night.


	5. One Kiss

Chapter 5: One Kiss

"I'm going to ruin that Brooklyn bitch," Blair said.

Serena rolled her eyes, "you need to relax," she replied.

"Whose side are you on?" Blair asked.

"I am not on anyone's side. She hasn't done anything to you," Serena reasoned.

"She has defied my authority more than once, and I need to put an end to it," Blair retorted. Serena couldn't help but roll her eyes again. She was just about to say something when the elevator in her apartment dinged, signaling that she had a visitor.

"Hey Dan," Serena gushed, with a smile. He walked up and kissed her cheek.

"Hello Blair," he said unamused.

"Humphrey," she replied, with equal annoyance.

"So what are you girls up to?" Dan asked.

"Oh nothing, just world domination," Blair answered with a smile.

"Blair is trying to take down Kim, and I am trying to tell her why she needs to leave her alone," Serena explained.

"You know she's never done anything to you, right?" Dan asked.

"Not true. She goes against my demands all the time," Blair complained.

"Look, I don't know much about her, she seems pretty nice. However, she is from East Flatbush," Dan said.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Blair asked, unfazed.

"I'm not saying that she's dangerous, I'm just saying that she's probably more savvy than you're used to, I don't think you want those problems," Dan warned.

"Thanks Humphrey, but I guess you have yet to understand what _I'm_ capable of," Blair said as she gathered her purse.

"I'm off," she said before entering the elevator, and going into a waiting town car. All the way home, she thought about what she was going to do with Kim, and it suddenly dawned on her.

 _I'll invite her to my birthday party. I can deal with her there._ She thought.

Blair took out her phone, and used Gossip Girl's spotted map to track down Kim. Luckily, she found her as she exited Alice's Tea Cup on 72nd Street. Kim looked up as she came out of the restaurant with Jenna and Christa at her side.

"Kimberly," Blair greeted.

"Wicked Witch of the East?" Kim questioned.

"Don't be in such a haste to insult. I come in peace. Hello ladies," Blair said, as she greeted Jenna and Christa. They gave her their fake smile and waved.

Kim arched one of her eyebrows, signaling for Blair to go on.

"I came to invite you to my birthday party," Blair said, handing her the invitation. Kim looked at it, before looking at Blair skeptically.

"You can even bring your friends along," Blair said with a smile. Kim smiled at her.

"Thanks for the invitation," she said, before walking away.

"So are you gonna go?" Christa asked.

"Maybe. I know she has something up her sleeve. So either I go and see what she's up to so that I can embarrass her, or I stay home, and let her enjoy herself," Kim said.

-One Week Later-

"Nathaniel, what's up?" Chuck said in his signature brooding voice.

"It's my mom," Nate answered as he took a seat on the couch.

"Sounds Freudian," Chuck replied. Nate shook his head.

"She wants me to give Blair the Vanderbilt ring tonight at her birthday party, so that Eleanor will continue her deal with my dad," Nate explained.

"Nathaniel, if you're done with Blair, be done. Done succumb to your parents' wishes," Chuck said. Nate gave him a questioning look.

"Excuse me? Where's my boy. What happened to 'seal the deal,' tap that ass,' 'money marries bigger money'?" Nate asked.

"There are only 3 things I care about: money, what money does for me, and you. I want you to be happy. Your parents have been controlling your life since birth, if you don't end now, then when?" Chuck asked. Nate marinated on his friends words for a while.

When Blair walked into her penthouse, her mom came out of her room with a newspaper.

"Have you seen this?" Eleanor asked, as she handed Blair the paper. The front page was an article about The Captain's indictment.

"Oh no, I have to call Nate," she said as her face fell. She went to her room, and texted him before she settled down on her bed. She was researching articles about The Captain's indictment when her phone rang.

"Hey, how are you? I've been texting you all day," she answered.

"Yeah, it's been a crazy day," Nate replied.

"I bet. Please, let me know if I can do anything for you, and don't worry about my party, just focus on your family," Blair told him.

"Thank you, but I have something special for you for your birthday," Nate said as he looked down at the ring box in his hand.

Blair couldn't help but smile, "I'm sure you do. I can't wait," she gushed. They said their goodbyes, and when she hung up the phone, she danced around her room thanking God that they both agreed that the break-up was a rash decision. Now that everything was perfectly in place, she decided to start getting ready for her party.

In Brooklyn, Kim walked out of the hair salon, and into Dan Humphrey. She gave him a small smile.

"Hey Dan, how are you?" she said as she greeted him.

"Hey Kim, I'm good. This is my best friend, Vanessa. She just came back to Brooklyn after living in Vermont for a year," Dan explained as she introduced the two.

"Hi Vanessa, it's nice to meet you," Kim said, as she extended her hand to the girl in front of her.

"It's good to meet you too," Vanessa replied with a genuine smile on her face.

"Well, I have to get going, I'll see you guys around," Kim said, turning to leave.

"Kim, wait," Dan called. She stopped and turned around.

"Are you going to Blair's party tonight?" Dan asked.

"I haven't really decided yet, I thought about it though," she told him.

"Well, I don't know exactly know what's up, but I think Blair invited you, so that she can set you up," Dan said.

Kim smiled, "Dan, I know that Blair doesn't like me, and she wouldn't invite me to her party because she enjoys my presence. I know that if I go to this party, she'll have something up her sleeve, so I figured it's either I let her underestimate me, so that I can embarrass her, or let her rock and enjoy her party," she explained.

Dan smiled, "I always knew you were smart. I never doubted you for a second," he told her.

"Thanks, and thanks for trying to look out for me by telling me," Kim said.

"Of course, us Brooklynites have to stick together," he said. Kim smiled.

"True. Well I'll see you guys around," she said before heading in the direction of her home.

When she got home, Kim immediately began getting ready. She took a shower, and then started doing her makeup, and brushed out her hair so that it lay perfectly sleek and straight. She got dressed in a black leather peplum skirt that stopped just above her knees, and hugged the curvy bottom that she had become known for. She paired the skirt with a black cropped tank and a pair of black pumps. She finished the look with a diamond choker set in white gold, and diamond hoops to match and a silver tone watch. Kim grabbed her clutch and her black leather jacket before heading out. With every step that Kim took towards the party venue, she thought about the fact that it was never too late to turn around. Nevertheless, she continued forward. She got as far as the address and looked at the restaurant before turning around.

"Kim!" she heard her name called. She closed her eyes in defeat, she was hoping that he didn't see her.

"Hey Nate," she greeted him. He pulled her in for a hug.

"I didn't know Blair invited you," Nate said.

"I know, surprise right considering how I've never been her favorite person," Kim replied.

"Ah, don't worry about that, she's just intimidated by you," Nate said. Kim smiled a small smile.

"Did you take the train here? You could've called me, I would've picked you up," Nate said, in a jokingly stern voice.

"Or nah. Anyway, what are you doing standing outside here?" she asked.

"Thinking the same thing that you were," he admitted.

"No, no, no. I know why Blair asked me here. She probably has some plan to fuck with me and have me walk right into a trap. You on the other hand, are her boyfriend, you're not supposed to have a choice," Kim said.

"So you know that she wants to set you up, and you came anyway?" Nate asked.

"Nate, Blair is not low, I kinda wanna see what she had planned, so that I can embarrass her. On the other hand, I could just let her rock, and enjoy her party without worrying about executing some weak plan. It's amazing how she still hasn't learned that my street savvy will beat her twisted little mind every time," Kim said.

Nate laughed, "wow, you sure are something else. You came to what is supposed to be your own demise, dressed to kill, might I add" he told her.

"Why, thank you Mr. Archibald, thank you for the compliment," she said, trying to hide her blush.

Nate meant every word, his eyes scanned over her ample bosom, he admired the way her waist went in, and could never resist an opportunity to look at her butt. She had an awesome hourglass figure, and looked like a Black Barbie.

"You wanna go for a walk?" Nate asked her out of the blue.

"With you?" Kim asked, confused.

"Yeah, come on," he said, pulling her by the arm to walk next to him. They started to go down the street and Kim shook her head.

"What?" Nate questioned.

"You like producing fodder for Gossip Girl, don't you?" Kim asked.

"Of course not. Anyone who would care to send her a tip is probably at the party, and a blog is not going to determine my every move," Nate assured her.

"Ok, if you say so," she said.

"That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

"Ok sir. Well what's new with you?" Kim asked.

"Well let's start at the beginning," he said. He ended up telling Kim about his father's newly found coke habit, him getting arrested, Blair breaking up with him, the fraud charges, his mother pressuring him to give up the family ring, and the fact that he actually considered it.

"Don't get me wrong, I have love for Blair, but I'm not in love with her," he said. Kim listened, and took it all in.

"If you're not in love with her, you can't give her that ring. It'll only hurt her more in the long run when your relationship breaks down beyond repair. She'll hate you for getting her hopes up, and then having her fall harder. If you just be honest with her, then at least you guys will probably still have your friendship," Kim tried to advise.

"That's true, but I don't know. I wanna help my family, but at what cost? When does it end?" Nate asked.

"It ends when you end it," Kim told him.

Nate sighed, "Enough about me. You're always listening to my issues, what's up with you?" Nate asked Kim.

"Not a whole lot," Kim admitted, "I'm just trying to keep my grades up, keep up with my extracurriculars, and keep on track with my success plan," she finished. Nate always admired Kim's intelligence and ambition, she was hands down, one of the most focused teenagers he knew.

"And how are you liking Constance?" he asked.

Kim sighed, "honestly, it's different from my old school, but it's interesting," she admitted.

'How so?" he inquired.

"In my old school, if you had a problem with someone, they'd probably just try to fight you, and then after the fight, they wouldn't have anything to do with each other. In this school, y'all spend a lot of time and energy trying to take people down. I don't have time for that, my mission is to get my education, get to college, and create a lucrative career path, not spar with fake bitches," she said honestly.

Nate laughed, "Fair enough. And how are you feeling lately?" he asked. During their time as husband and wife, Nate did get to find out some things about Kim, and one of those things was that she suffered from arthritis.

"I've been feeling pretty ok. My last round of blood work was pretty stable, so that's good," she answered.

"Good to hear," he told her with a wide smile.

Nate sat there for a second gazing at the side of Kim's face as she tucked her hair behind her ear.

"What? Is there something on my face" she asked in reference to his stare. She couldn't help but feel self conscious under his gaze.

"No, no, you're perfect," he said. Kim smiled a bit.

Before Nate could process his actions, he felt himself lean in to close the gap between them.

Kim was taken by surprise, but soon found herself kissing him back. He ran his tongue along her

bottom lip, and then pulled it into his mouth. Kim felt a rush of electricity course through her

body. She broke the kiss first, she felt herself blush, and was grateful that it probably didn't

show through her milk chocolate skin. She got up quickly.

"You cannot do that," Kim said.

"Why not?" Nate asked.

"Because Blair still thinks that you guys are together, and you're in love with Serena. I shouldn't

have to explain this to you. I'm just gonna go," she said before walking off quickly into the

night.

Nate felt bad. Kim was right, he didn't completely finish things with Blair, and he did carry a

torch for Serena, but he was definitely thinking that he could forget about Serena to have a

chance with Kim.


	6. Can We Be Tight

**Thank you to everyone who has been following this story, or making it one of your "favorites," I'm really glad that you like it. Thank you so much for the reviews, keep them coming! XOXO**

Kim flipped through the television channels and sighed. She woke up in an arthritis flare, and it was hard for her to walk, much less getting ready to go to school. She settled on an episode of "Friends," and tried to find a comfortable position to rest in when she heard the doorbell ring. Kim rolled her eyes. Usually if nobody calls to say that they're coming over, she wouldn't even get up to walk to the door, but she got a feeling in her gut that she needed to at least see who it was. She walked gingerly towards the door, and looked into the peephole. She rolled her eyes when she saw who it was.

"Is there a reason why you're here?" she asked.

"Yes," he answered.

"What do you want?" She asked him.

"Open the door, and you'll find out," he responded.

"Nope, try again," Kim answered. He sighed.

"Kim, I just wanted to see if you were ok," he responded. Kim caved and opened the door.

"What do you want, Nate?" she said in a small voice. Nate took a second to look her over. He took in her black leggings and cut off long sleeved t-shirt as well as her tired eyes.

"I really just wanted to see if you were ok. Serena told me that you were home sick," he told her.

Kim sighed. "Just having a flare. It mostly just hurts to walk," she admitted to him.

"Can I come in, so that you can sit down?" he asked. Kim thought for a minute.

"Ok, come in," she said, as she stepped aside to let him walk into her apartment. After she locked the door, she turned gingerly, and began walking slowly. Nate knew that her hips and knees were hurting, and it actually pained him to see her like this. She led him to her room, and showed him to a white arm chair before she climbed into her queen sized bed with gold and white sheets. He looked around and noticed the black and gold sequin curtains, the off white walls with gold picture frames containing pictures of herself, her family members and her friends. He noticed the television mounted on her chest of drawers, the fact that she had two closets and a vanity with lightbulbs going all around it. The poster of the Chanel logo was the icing on the cake. This was definitely Kim's room. Kim cleared her throat, and shook Nate out of his thoughts. He opened his book bag and pulled out a small gift bag.

"I got you this," he said, as he handed her the bag.

"No, you really shouldn't have," Kim said, refusing the bag.

"Please, just take a look inside," He pleaded. Kim took the bag and opened it. First she saw a box of white chocolates, her favorite. Kim side eyed him.

"White chocolate? You tryna tell me something?" she said in a flirty tone.

Nate laughed, and Kim continued to take items out of the also pulled out a small box of "Joint Mints," apparently it was a lozenge that used natural ingredients to reduce inflammation, a black silk sleep mask with "Beautification in Process" written in gold and copies of Variety, Cosmo, People, and The Hollywood Reporter. The objects were simple, but thoughtful. Kim looked at Nate, and didn't know what to say.

"I thought the lozenges would be a nice change of pace from pills, the mask would help you sleep better, and that the magazines would give you a rest from television," he explained.

"Thank you, this is incredibly thoughtful of you," Kim said as she laid the gifts on the other side of her bed.

"When Serena told me that you were home sick today, I just assumed that you were hurting. I knew you wouldn't tell me if I asked," he said. In the short time he's known Kim, he's come to realize that she's strong and resilient, but also downplays her physical pain as well as her emotions.

"Well, you guessed right," Kim said as she sighed. She slightly turned onto her hip to face him, and the pressure put her in even more pain.

"How did you know where I lived?" Kim asked.

"My driver," Nate said with a smile.

"Of course," she said with a slight eye roll.

"So did you just come to check on me?" she asked, hoping that he would get to the point of his visit.

"Um I kinda wanted to apologize for Saturday. I know that I put you in an awkward position, but I do care about you and I never want to put you in a compromising position, or hurt you, so I'm sorry, I was wrong, I apologize. So can we be tight again?" he asked Kim laughed.

"You are such a white boy, but I accept your apology," she told him.

"Come here," he said as he moved closer to her to give her a hug. Kim smiled, and gave him a tight squeeze. They spent some more time catching up until Kim looked like her eyes were getting heavy.

"Hey, do you want to go to sleep?" he asked.

"No, I'm fine. I just get a lot more tired when this happens. Like it takes twice as much energy to do anything," she answered. Nate shook his head.

"You're tired. It's ok. I'll let myself out," he said. He walked over to kiss her cheek, and before he left her room, she dozed off. Nate let himself out, and called his driver. On his way home, his head was a complete mess. He thought of Kim and his feelings toward her and what they meant, but in the back of his mind was always Serena. Confused didn't begin to cover his feelings.

Kim felt her cellphone vibrate, and saw that she had a text message from Serena.

 _Pool party at the school. You in?_

Kim thought about it for a second before posing the question to Jenna and Christa, who were sitting in her living room.

"Apparently there's a pool party at Constance. You guys wanna go?" she asked. Jenna and Christa looked at each other before bursting out in a simultaneous chant: "Lit, lit, lit, lit."

Kim laughed, "So that's a 'yes'?" she asked them.

"Hell yeah, especially if Chuck is there," Jenna said.

"It's about to be a lituation. I'm looking for Dan," Christa replied. Kim rolled her eyes before she texted Serena back.

 _Definitely!_

"All right. You guys go get ready, we'll meet up on the corner of 86th and Lexington," Kim suggested. The girls went their separate ways to get ready. Soon, Kim found herself standing on the corner with Jenna, waiting for Christa as usual.

"Maybe we should start giving her meeting times 2 hours ahead, and maybe she'll make it only 30 minutes late," Jenna said. Kim laughed.

"I was just thinking the same thing," Kim replied. Just as she finished speaking, she saw Christa come out of the train station.

"Hey, I'm here," she greeted her friends. Kim side eyed her for a minute before she smiled.

"Come on, let's go," she said before they started walking.

Chuck was sitting in the lifeguard stand talking to Nate, but he was staring at Blair who was in the water with Serena. Nate was going on about his girl problems, and it was really starting to get old, but he guessed that he'd rather him be preoccupied by girl problems than by his father's issues. He continued looking around until he got to the entrance where his eyes landed on Kim and two Latinas that were with her.

"Well, there's the Queen of Curves in the flesh," Chuck drawled. Nate followed his eyes to the corner where Kim, Christa and Jenna were putting down their bags and taking off their street clothes.

"Well look at who she brought with her" Chuck said. Nate looked over and saw Kim with Jenna and Christa.

"I'm going to introduce myself," Chuck said with a smirk as he got off of the lifeguard seat.

"Did you invite that bitch?" Blair asked Serena when she saw Kim walk in with her friends.

"Yes I did. I like her, and you need to stop disrespecting her," Serena said. Blair sighed and scoffed.

"You guys keep allowing her and Humphrey to infiltrate. What's next? Are you gonna start quoting rap lyrics?" Blair asked.

"Don't play me like a chicken, thinking I'm pressed to get it," Serena said as she smiled, knowing that the rap reference would annoy Blair.

Blair rolled her eyes and scoffed while Serena kept laughing. She turned her head, and saw Chuck talking to one of Kim's friends. Her eyes almost popped out of her head.

"I'm going to the bathroom," Blair said before walking away from Serena.

Jenna stood up from the pool in search of the bathroom when Chuck stopped her in her tracks. She tried to look unfazed.

"Yes?" she asked him.

"Beautiful and sassy. I'm Chuck Bass," he said as he extended his hand to her.

"Well I'm Jenna Garcia," she said, imitating his voice.

"Why don't we go somewhere quiet, so we can talk?" he asked. Before Jenna could answer, Blair walked in between them.

"Hi could you excuse us for a minute, I need to borrow Chuck," she said as she pulled him away from Jenna.

"Enough with the blackmail! I can't avoid Nate forever," Blair said, she was of course, referring to the deal she made with Chuck that if he would keep their affair a secret, she would stay away from Nate for a while.

"I didn't say forever, I said until the sight of you too didn't turn my stomach," Chuck replied.

"Isn't there someone else that you could torture?" Blair sneered.

"Probably, but I choose you," he said, walking away.

Kim was sitting on the edge of the pool with Christa when she heard somebody talk to her.

"Hey Kim."

She rolled her eyes before turning around.

"Hi Nate," she said with a small smile before turning her attention back to Christa. Nate decided to sit down beside her.

"So what's up?" He asked her.

"You know, I'd really appreciate it if you would leave me alone," Kim said shortly.

"What is up with you?" He asked her.

"Nothing is up with me. I'm trying very hard to speak to you calmly. I want you to leave me alone," she said.

"Nah, come over here," he said, grabbing her wrist. Kim pulled her arm away from him.

"Don't grab me," she said angrily as they walked away from the crowd.

"What's going on? Why are you so mad at me?" He asked, confused.

"All of the time that we've spent getting to know each other, I thought that we were friends," she said to him.

"Kim, you know how I feel about you. What would make you think any different?" Nate asked, seriously confused.

"You didn't even tell me that you and Blair got back together," Kim replied.

"I just hadn't gotten around to it," he said.

"Yeah until I saw you kissing her," she replied.

Nate thought for a second, "you know, I'm not even sure I understand why you're mad," he admitted.

"Of course you don't, because you wouldn't get why I'd be offended by seeing you under another girl, who by the way, hates me because of you, even though you spend so much time telling me about how you feel about me," she said, angrily.

"Kim, it's not even-" he started before she put her hand up, and cut him off.

"I don't want to hear shit from you, all you is lie. I bet you cum fast too. Because that's all men do is lie and cum fast," she said before walking away from him.

Before she made it back to Christa and Jenna, she heard a blood-curdling scream. When she stopped and looked around, she saw a guy faced down in the pool and bleeding. Nate instantly jumped into the pool to pull the boy out of the water.

"Call 9-1-1," Dan yelled out. Serena got on the phone to call the ambulance, while Nate performed CPR. Kim went over to Jenna and Christa.

"We have to get out of here," she said to them, while gathering their things and heading for the exit.

"Whoever initiated this party will be expelled, and if nobody comes forward, you will all be expelled," the Headmistress said. Kim cocked her head to the side as her eyes widened. She was not trying to go down with everyone else. The headmistress dismissed them and they walked out of the school.

"So we all know how this works," Blair said.

"No one talks, no one gets into trouble," Chuck finished.

"Who did break in, anyway?" Nate asked. Kim rolled her eyes.

"I guess we don't have to worry about Nate cracking under pressure," Chuck said.

"Um, did y'all not hear her say that she's gonna expel all of us?" Kim asked.

"She can't expel the better part of the senior class," Serena said.

"Apparently, yes the fuck she can," Kim replied.

"Just relax. Don't they say stuff like 'snitches get stitches' where you're from?" Blair asked.

"Blair-" Nate started, trying to intervene, but Kim cut him off.

"Bitch, I'll put you in stitches, but this is not the street where everyone has the same thing at stake. My father can't donate a library to get me back into school. I'm not a snitch, but you motherfuckers play too much," Kim said.

"Listen, just don't say anything. I got you and Dan into this, and I'll get you guys out. Trust me," Serena said.

"You lying, you did not tell him that all he does is lie and you bet that he cums fast too," Christa said to Kim as she laughed out loud.

"Yo, I'm over here crying," Jenna said.

"I was so angry, you have no idea," Kim said.

"So what are you gonna do?" Christa asked, referring to the ultimatum that the headmistress gave them.

"You already know that I'm not a snitch, but I can't look out for them more than I look out for myself. I can't trust them to have my back," Kim told her friends.

"That's true, they're all rich, they know that they can buy anyone and anything. All you have is your word, your name, and your reputation. Do what you have to do to protect it," Christa said.

"Yeah, definitely. You don't owe them anything. Your loyalty is to yourself and to your family. They've put everything on the line to send you to that school, and you owe it to them, and yourself to have a fair chance there," Jenna replied.

"You guys have a point," she replied as she heard her mother's key turn in the door.

"All right girls, I'll talk to you tomorrow," Kim said before ending the three way conversation.

The next day Kim found herself sitting in another meeting with Headmistress Queller about the pool party.

"Yesterday, I talked about the consequences for your dishonorable actions, and obviously you didn't believe me. But someone came forward today and claimed responsibility for a crime he did not commit. Although I appreciate his self-sacrifice, I don't abide dishonesty, and I think it's time you all know how serious I am. Nathaniel Archibald is suspended from St. Jude's, and yes this will go on his transcript. Effective immediately."

Kim's eyes widened in shock along with everyone else's as Nate left the school.

"Watch him go students, who wants to be next? We'll keep going until every last one of you has walked out of that door," Queller said.

"Nate, are you ok?" Blair asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. My parents have so much other stuff to deal with, they'll get over it. Otherwise it was worth it," he said.

"It was worth it?" She asked.

"Blair, I know how much your future means to you. You've worked so hard for Yale and everything-"

"What are you talking about?" she asked him.

"You don't have to lie. I saw the key in your bedroom," Nate said. Blair rolled her eyes.

"That key isn't mine. I was hiding it for someone else," she said.

"Is that why you were suspended. You told the headmistress it was yours because you thought it was mine?" she asked.

"That's the most romantic thing anyone's ever done for me," she said.

'I love you," he told her.

Kim stood there and listened to their whole interaction. She felt hot tears welling up in her eyes. Of course he lied to protect Blair. How could she be stupid enough to think that he might have lied so that she wouldn't pay the price for someone else's idiocy.


	7. Before You Walk Out My Life

**Thank you to everyone who has been reading and following this story as well as putting it on your "favorite" lists! It's been a while, but I'm finally back with another chapter!**

Kim was walking down the stairs on her way out for lunch when she got to the gate of the school, she felt her cellphone vibrate.

 _Looks like the Virgin Queen isn't as pure as she pretended to be. Who's your daddy, B? Baby Daddy that is. Two guys in one week? Talk about doing the nasty, or should I say just being nasty._

Kim froze after reading the Gossip Girl alert. She didn't even know that Nate and Blair sealed the deal, but she wondered who the other guy was. Almost as soon as she thought it, she saw Nate charge out of the school building and grab Chuck by his neck.

"Did you sleep with her?" Nate asked.

"Can't we talk about this without your hands around my neck?" Chuck asked.

"Did you sleep with her? Answer me!" Nate demanded.

"Yes Nathaniel! I took what Blair kept throwing at you, and you kept throwing back," Chuck said, as he got out of Nate's grasp.

"So somehow you screwing Blair for sport is my fault?" Nate asked.

"It wasn't for sport! She needed someone and I was there."

"Oh, so you cared about her?"

"You guys were broken up," Chuck reminded him.

"How long? A week? An hour?"

"Look, I'm sorry, but I know how long you and I have been best friends, ok?"

"No, it's not okay, Chuck. From now on, you stay away from me," Nate yelled before storming away.

Kim couldn't believe what just happened in front of her. She felt so disgusted, she couldn't stand to be at that school for the rest of the day. She left the premises, and walked to the train station.

Nate couldn't believe what was going on in his life. It was bad enough that his father's legal troubles were turning everything upside down in his, but he lost his best friend and his girlfriend, and he'd be remiss if he didn't acknowledge the fact that he lost another good friend trying to rekindle the dying relationship with that very same girlfriend who slept with his best friend. Now he didn't have anyone. He knew that he didn't want anything to do with Blair or Chuck, but he still had hope that he could make amends with Kim. He did the only thing that he could think of. He pulled out his phone and made a phone call.

"Hi, I'd like fifteen yellow roses for delivery..."

Kim, Jenna and Christa were running through vocabulary words in preparation for the S. when the doorbell rang.

"Aren't you going to get it?" Jenna asked.

"I don't answer the doorbell if I don't expect company. This is not a television show, this is Flatbush," Kim said.

"At least take a look," Christa said. Kim sighed in defeat, and headed towards the door. She looked in the peep hole and saw a man holding something.

"Who is it?" she called.

"I have flowers for Kimberly Hamilton," the man said. Kim opened up the door, a bit and came face to face with a bouquet of peach roses. Kim gave the delivery man her signature, and took the flowers from him. She closed the door, and turned to face her friends with a particular look on her face.

"Your facial expression says 'intrigued'," Jenna pointed out.

"I am. Yellow roses usually mean friendship, but this is like fifteen of them, and that means apology," Kim said while counting them, before finding the card.

"Read it out loud," Christa suggested.

 _Kim,_

 _I never meant to cause you any pain. I just wanna go back to being the same. I only want to make things right, before you walk out of my life. I know that I upset you, but I don't want to lose your friendship. I was wrong, I'm sorry, I apologize._

 _-Nate_

"Awwww!" Jenna and Christa exclaimed in unison.

"Can you just admit that he's bae?" Jenna said.

"Vodka is bae, these S. are bae," Kim replied.

"Oh please, knowing you, it'll be your wedding day, and you still gonna be saying that he's not bae," Christa said.

"Word, and her vows are gonna be 'you're lit. Facts," Jenna said as the girls laughed.

"Nah, seriously though, he said he wants it to go back to being the same. He wants to be friends, and that might be for the best. I'm not gonna be anyone's stand in girl while he waits around, hoping that one day Serena will be free," Kim said as she picked up her cellphone to call him.

"Hey, I see you got what I sent you," Nate said, answering the phone. Kim couldn't help but smile.

"Yes, I did. It was very thoughtful of you," she said, trying not to sound too pleased or eager.

"So what do you say? Do you forgive me?" he asked. Kim sighed.

"I guess. And when did you start listening to Monica to put her lyrics in your note?" Kim asked, laughing.

"I'll have you know that I have very eclectic taste in music," he said.

"I'm sure," she replied, sarcastically.

"But, I'm about to catch up with Dan and give him my SAT study books. Talk to you later?" Nate asked.

"Yeah, I'll talk to you later," Kim replied before hanging up.

"Well back to studying," Kim said to her friends as she sat back down in her seat.

Nate walked into the coffee shop, and saw Dan's friend sitting at one of the tables.

"Hey..." he started, but trailed off.

"Vanessa. You're Nate, right?" she asked.

"Yes I am."

"Right, you played a small, but crucial role in my documentary," Vanessa said.

"Yeah, I remember you following Dan around with the camera," Nate replied.

"Hey Nate, what are you doing here?" Dan said, as he walked up to the table to greet Nate.

"Well, since I've taken every S.A.T prep course in all five boroughs, I figured you could use these," Nate said, putting the practice books on the table.

"You don't need them?" Dan asked.

"Nope. I've already taken it. My parents don't want me to go to USC, so I needed to make sure that I can get in without them. I'm done." he said.

"While we all love hearing about the struggles of the idle rich, Dan's got a fine tutor right here. I ace every practice test that I take, so we don't need your hand-me-downs," Vanessa said.

"Thanks, these look really good," Dan, cut in.

"Why do you insist on looking so desperate and needy?" Vanessa asked Dan.

"She's been like that since we were kids, venomous without provocation," Dan explained.

"It's better than being a charity case," Vanessa replied.

"She's rude too," Dan added.

"I see that," Nate replied with an intrigued look on his face.

"I gotta get going, but I hope these are useful to you," Nate said, before leaving.

Kim was sitting in her AP English class using her finger to keep her eyes open. Between classes, studying for the S. , and her position on the Student Government, she was running low on energy and patience.

"I know that all of you are a little stressed about the upcoming S. , so your new assignment I want you to come up with a body of writing that speaks to your feelings. This could be an essay, short story, song, or poem. The challenge is that you will be working in pairs, so you have to find a way to turn the feelings of two different people into one piece. I have already assigned you partners," Ms. McKay said.

Kim had to make a face. She could not understand for the life of her why this school was so damn obsessed with group work. She completely zoned out until she heard the teacher call her name.

"Kimberly, you'll be working with Blair."

Kim felt her face drop as she side eyed Blair, who didn't look too happy either. Never one to back down from a challenge, she opted not to request that her partner be changed. As the bell rang, Kim began packing up her things when Blair walked up to her.

"When do you want to meet?"

"After school in the library," Kim replied before walking off. She was not looking forward to working with Blair, but her grades came before anything and anybody, so she was never going to let a petty rivalry get in the way of what was important.

The rest of the day found Blair ignoring the people whispering about her in the hallway. She perished at the thought of people actually, dare she say, listening to Jenny Humphrey. It was almost a relief to her when the last bell rang, until she remembered that she had to meet Kim in the library. She wanted nothing more than for this day to end as she shuffled reluctantly to the library. She walked in and spotted Kim already sitting at a table looking less than pleased, but she concluded that it was just a case of resting bitch face. Blair took a seat across from Kim and looked at her. Since Blair insisted on a staring contest, Kim came to play when she looked into Blair's eyes and stared back.

"Well are you going to say something?" Blair asked.

"You came and found me sitting here. It wouldn't have killed you to say 'hello.' You already know what time it is, so don't make me come across this table for you,"

Blair rolled her eyes, "Must you be so harsh?" she asked.

"You need people to be harsh with you. I don't know what they tell you here on the Upper East Side, but you don't run shit in New York City. If you're lucky, you'll run Waldorf Designs when you're older. There are too many people here for you to feel like you have any clout outside of your social circle. You don't have to like me, but you will respect me," Kim said.

Blair smiled, "Oh Kim, don't you know it's money, power and then respect?" she asked.

Kim also smiled, "Oh Blair, I know better than anybody that it's the key to life," she responded, quoting Lil' Kim.

"You see the light," Blair countered. Kim stared in shock at Blair's ability to finish the line in the song.

"Oh ok, I see you have learned something from me," Kim said with a chuckle and a side look.

"Don't get too excited. Let's just get to work," Blair responded, trying to stifle a smile.


	8. Still I Rise

Chapter 8: Still I Rise

"Ok ladies, today your writing presentations are due. We're going to spend the class time on that. Is there a pair that wants to go first?" Ms. McKay asked.

Blair and Kim didn't even look at each other, when they both raised their hands. It was no surprise to anyone in the class, both girls always wanted to share their thoughts, and they certainly didn't surprise each other. They believed in going first because they rather be the tough act to follow, as opposed to following a tough act.

"I guess Blair and Kim will be going first. Ladies, you have the floor," Ms. McKay said as they walked to the front of the classroom.

"We decided to perform a spoken word piece. It's called 'Still I Rise'." Kim introduced

 **Both:** She said fuck the Upper East Side

 **Kim:** But I think she was playing

 **Blair:** I think she move them things

 **Kim:** I think she fucking Nate

 **Blair:** She call herself the Queen B, the "B" stands for "brain"

 **Kim:** She wanna be the next Blair, she kinda acts the same

 **Blair:** Why does she have followers, she's not real royalty right?

 **Kim:** And how'd she end up at this school, she's from Brooklyn, right?

 **Blair:** I mean she's ok, but she ain't all that.

 **Kim:** She ain't the Queen Bitch, tell that bitch fall back

 **Both:** See, I'm a hater, I go hard. Listen, let's begin

You know that she's no different from the rest of them,

And she will never live up to the hype, look at the current scene

But every time they say her name on Gossip Girl, you know I run to see

She gets me so sick, it makes me vomit, that's why I spend my time online leaving comments

 **Kim:** And you know I got some more haters with me

 **Blair:** Might hit up the gate keepers of high society

 **Kim:** Hit up admissions staff and faculty

 **Both** : Tell them pretty, pretty please, don't admit that B

But still I rise, still I fight, still I might crack a smile

Keep my eyes on the prize, see my haters, tell them "hi"

One day you'll remember this, one day when we reminisce

Nothing I do ever is good enough for you high school kids

 **Blair:** These bitches are like crabs in a bucket

 **Kim:** You see another woman getting shine, you should love it

 **Blair:** Because every time a door opens for me, it means you just got a better opportunity to do you

 **Kim:** You don't understand, every institution looks at numbers and statistics

 **Both:** I lose, you lose. It's just logistics

 **Kim:** Anyway, real people listen when I'm speaking

 **Blair:** Because if one woman wins, then all of y'all can sit at the table

 **Kim:** Ask Mary Barra, ask Sheryl Sandberg, then go to D.C. To see what Michelle O says

 **Blair** : Ask Janet Yellen, you can ask Indra Nooyi

 **Kim:** Then when you're done, just salute a boss chick

 **Both:** Still I rise, still I fight, still I might crack a smile

Keep my eyes on the prize, see my haters, tell them "hi"

One day you'll remember this, one day when we reminisce

Nothing I do ever is good enough for you high school kids

The girls ended their poem with an intense stare into the audience before the classroom erupted in applause.

"Wow ladies, that was impressive. Do you mind sharing a bit of the creative process?" Ms. McKay asked.

"Sure. You asked us to do something based on a commonality, and although Blair and I always feel like we couldn't be more different. The way that people perceive us isn't too different. We also wanted to bring up themes of women empowerment in an all girls school, and really just openly comment on aspects of our lives that everyone whispers about, but won't say out loud," Kim explained.

"Incredible, and a tough act to follow," their English teacher complimented once more before allowing them to take their seats. It seemed like the impossible took place at Constance that day. Blair Waldorf and Kimberly Hamilton came to some kind of understanding and place of mutual respect.

Kim wanted to cry as she picked up her phone and turned off her alarm. She got out of bed, and was greeted by her mother making her a big breakfast.

"Good morning Mommy," she called on her way to the bathroom. When she sat down at the kitchen table, her mom placed a plate with pancakes, eggs and sausage in front of her.

"I don't want you getting hungry in the middle of the test," Joscelyn said to her youngest child.

"Thanks mom," she replied as she continued to eat. When done, Kim went to take a shower, and then looked in her closet. Anyone who knows Kim, knows that her outfits are usually carefully planned. She was hoping that her "dress well, test well" theory would work out in this scenario. She wanted to go for a look that made her feel both smart and fashionable. She settled on a pair of black leather pants, a long sleeved white peplum top with a zipper down the front and black leather pumps with a low heel. Kim parted her hair to the side and brushed it carefully before adding her pencils, calculator and other necessities into a black leather handbag.

"Good luck!" her mother called as she bid her goodbye and stepped out of the door. Kim walked out of her building at an ungodly hour on Saturday morning and prayed for the safety of a bus to come to take her to the train station, and spent the whole train ride alternating between recalling vocabulary words and praying that she'd do a great job on the test. She walked into Hunter College, and joined the line to sign in when she heard a girl give her name as Serena Van der Woodsen. Kim cocked her head to the side in shock for a second before she faced forward and went back to minding her business.

After four torturous hours, the test was finally over. It was behind her, and Kim couldn't be happier to have one less thing to worry about. She walked out of the bathroom and walked up to Dan and Blair.

"Hey guys," she said, casually greeting them.

"Hey. Did you see Serena today?" Blair asked.

Kim made a face. "Nope, not at all," she answered as they began to walk.

"This is insane. What would make her miss the SATs?" Dan wondered out loud. They stepped outside of the building, and all three of them stopped in their tracks. Kim couldn't identify the feeling that came over her when she saw Vanessa leaving the test center and being escorted to a limo by Nate, the two engaged in a conversation filled with laughter. She regained her composure quickly, and looked at Dan and Blair.

"When did they start hanging out?" Blair asked, almost disgusted.

"I have no idea," Dan said.

"Apparently long enough for him to feel the need to pick her up from a Saturday afternoon test," Kim said, trying not to sound bitter.

"I'm sure it's nothing," Dan interjected. Kim rolled her eyes, and decided that she would leave that issue on the steps of Hunter College. Nate was not her boyfriend, and she did not care who he befriended or dated.

I hope you all liked the chapter! Sorry for taking so long to update. Disclaimer: I don't own Gossip Girl or Still I Rise.


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